Chronic pain is elusive, often impossible to visualize or describe, and a continuing challenge for patients and health care providers alike. The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that 76.5 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, an all encompassing term which includes pain that persists for months or years, often with no visible evidence of underlying injury. A recent Time Magazine Health Special featured an informative series of articles on the issue of chronic pain with new insights from the bench and the bedside, as well as patient stories reflecting on the challenges of living with pain.

Discussion about international collaboration between Xiaoshu Zhu (University of Western Sydney, Australia), Ewan McNichol (PREP program faculty, TUSM) and MS-PREP program graduate and acupuncturist, Kindreth Hamilton